Jackson County commissioners on July 14 approved hiring Gibson and Carden, a certified public-accounting firm, to assist the county with preparing financial statements and to begin work for the fiscal-year 2024 audit.

County staff said Gibson and Carden already serve multiple municipalities and counties and offered experience with municipal financial statements; staff recommended the firm after a comparative review in which an alternative firm quoted nearly twice the fees.

Commissioners moved and approved the contract by voice vote; the transcript does not include a roll-call tally. Staff asked commissioners to return the signed engagement letter promptly so the firm can begin gathering materials and begin audit preparation.

No dollar figure for the contract was stated on the record; staff said the alternative firm had quoted nearly double the fee of Gibson and Carden but did not state the exact fees in the meeting transcript.